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| J&K facing acute power crisis; State generating just 146 MW | | Free power not being allowed to draw | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
JAMMU, Jan 4: With generation from own hydroelectric projects showing no signs of improvement and State's dependence on Central power supply increasing, Power crisis in Jammu and Kashmir is likely to worsen in the days ahead.
Of State's effective installed capacity of 956 megawatts; Jammu and Kashmir is getting just 146 megawatts of power from Baglihar Hydroelectric Project that it owns and rest of the 1400 megawatts of power is being purchased from the Centre to meet peak demand of 1800 megawatts. Even after purchasing around 1400 megawatts of power, J&K is facing shortage of around 100 megawatts on an average almost every day.
According to Northern Region Load Dispatch Center (NRLDC), J&K is not getting its free share of power generated by four other power projects installed in various parts of State. These include 690 Megawatt Salal Hydroelectric Project, 480 Megawatt Uri Hydroelectric Project, 390 Megawatt Dulhasti Hydroelectric Project and 120 Megawatt Sewa Hydroelectric Project. From these four Projects having combined generation capacity of 1680 megawatts, J&K has meager share of 323 megawatts.
Presently, J&K is not being allowed to draw its share of free power from these four hydroelectric power projects. This is due to the fact that these four power projects are generating on an average 377 megawatts of power, which essentially means a generation deficit of 1303 megawatts. Since these four projects continue to be under complete control of NHPC; State is allowed only free share of power and the company is selling this 377 megawatts to its constituents which includes Jammu and Kashmir.
Severe winter has hurt what are known as 'run of the river projects'-those that are constructed on the rivers and where the natural river flow is utilized for generating power. The generation in these projects has dipped 75 to 80 percent due to decline in water levels of rivers on which these projects have been built and are being operated. Discharge in the river has reduced to 50 to 60 cubic metres per second due to freezing of water channels in the catchment of the river.
While decline in the generation during winter is a normal phenomenon, this season the discharge has come down rather quickly due to low temperature in the higher reaches, which received as many as three spells of snow in November and December. According to Northern Region Load Dispatch Center (NRLDC), 690 Megawatt Salal Hydroelectric Project is generating 116 Megawatts of Power, 480 Megawatt Uri Hydroelectric Project is generating 128 megawatts of Power, 390 Megawatt Dulhasti Hydroelectric Project is generating 259 Megawatts of Power and 120 Megawatt Sewa Hydroelectric Project is generating 71 Megawatts of Power.
Jammu and Kashmir much hyped 450 Megawatt Baglihar Hydroelectric Project is generating 146 megawatts of Power. Power project which are run essentially on Gas and Diesel having installed capacity of 183 Megawatt are also producing nothing. The total power generated by Hydroelectric as well as Thermal Projects is 956 megawatts, of which the State is presently generating just 146 Megawatts.
J&K's much hyped 20,000 megawatt Hydroelectric has come under question with generation dipping to 146 megawatts from 956 megawatts of the effective installed capacity of power projects, hydroelectric as well as Thermal. The fact remains that State is heavily dependent on the purchase of most of the required power from Central power projects. |
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